Table 1: Preoperative and perioperative characteristics.
| Characteristic | No. patients 53 |
| Age, years | 59.2 ± 13.2 |
| Male gender, n. (%) | 40 (75.5) |
| Hypertension, n. (%) | 51 (96) |
| Smoking habit, n. (%) | 29 (55) |
| Family history, n. (%) | 10 (20) |
| Dyslipidemia, n. (%) | 10 (20) |
| Diabetes mellitus, n. (%) | 2 (3.8) |
| Obesity, n. (%) | 13 (25.5) |
| Substance abuse, n. (%) | 2 (3.8) |
| Ascending aorta +/- hemiarch replacement, n. (%) | 27 (50) |
| Ascending aorta + arch replacement, n. (%) | 10 (19) |
| Bentall operation +/- arch replacement, n. (%) | 16 (30) |
| Cardiopulmonary bypass time, minutes | 152 ± 59 |
| Aortic cross-clamp time, minutes | 90 ± 39 |
| Hypothermic arrest, n. (%) | 31 (61) |
| Circulatory arrest time, minutes | 32 ± 29 |
| In-ICU stay, days | 4 ± 2 |
ICU = Intensive Care Unit